?Chapter 1118:


    Inside, the dimness thickened. The air hung heavy, musty with stillness. Alex scanned the room with practiced eyes. His gazended on the worn-out sofa tucked in the corner.


    Averi was there, lying still, eyes closed, his face pale but peaceful.


    Alex’s chest seized up. His pupils shrank with shock.


    It made perfect sense now why his men had gged so much movement from the Wall family in the past day. They hadn’t just stirred—they’d thrown everything they had into motion, and even the Castro family appeared to have backed them with a sizable force.


    Back then, he couldn’t figure it out. He’d been left guessing what had set off all the noise.


    But seeing Averi here told him everything—Hailey had kidnapped him. The chaos outside was simply the aftermath.


    Without hesitation, Alex stepped forward and knelt beside the boy. He reached out to check for breath.


    The soft rhythm of Averi’s breathing calmed the storm inside him—just a little. Still alive. Just sleeping.


    Straightening slowly, Alex turned to face Hailey. His eyes had turned to ice, his fury quiet but lethal.


    In a sh, he lunged and seized her throat, his grip iron-strong.


    “Youid a hand on Averi? Hailey, you’re pushing your luck way too far!” His tone dripped with threat, each word heavier than thest.


    Hailey gasped, fighting to breathe as his grip tightened.


    “Mr. Howe, don’t you think you are overreacting?”


    “That kid—yeah, he’s Sadie’s, but—don’t forget—he’s Noah’s flesh and blood too!”


    The moment the words left Hailey’s mouth, Alex’s grip tightened.


    He didn’t care who Averi’s father was. He’d watched the boy learn to walk, cry through nightmares, andugh over nothing. That made him family.


    And to Sadie, Averi was everything.


    Hailey hadn’t just crossed a line—she’d obliterated it. Laying a hand on a child that young? Unforgivable.


    Gasping, Hailey thrashed under his hold, her eyes starting to roll back. Even on the verge of cking out, she forced the words past her throat.


    “Mr. Howe… even if you kill me… nothing changes. This ce? It’s mine. My people are outside. I’m not bluffing. I’m trying to be honest. I want to work with you.”


    Alex’s expression darkened, colder than steel in winter. Without saying a word, his gaze swept the room.


    It wasn’t a big space, but his instincts screamed. The moment he stepped inside, he knew—eyes were watching. They had him boxed in.


    He hadn’t brought any of his men. If this turned into a standoff, he was the one cornered.


    And more than that, he couldn’t afford to put Averi at risk.


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